The Live-Nimble Way
7 Paths to Veggie Nirvana 0
New Year New food? Try these seven ways to prepare delicious and healthy vegetables to help you on your path to reach your goals.
1. BRAISE
Braising is an old but new way to cook delicious vegetables. We often think of braising as something just for tougher cuts of meat, a way to break them down into tender and delicious parts of the meal. However, vegetables also lend themselves to braising and are wonderfully rich and flavorful when prepared this way.
Which food should be braised?
- beans and legumes-anything that is dried and needs to cook in liquid. Also veggies like green beans that are normally served crisp tender
- root vegetables-carrots come to mind first, and are probably the most popular candidates for a good braise, but beets, kohlrabi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and rutabagas are prime and do well in a braising situation
- greens-all cooking greens, kale collard, chard,cabbage are great, and actually need to be braised to become more tender and release some of their nutrients.
- celery family -celery and fennel fennel develop a very sweet profile when braised
- onion family-onions, all kinds, leeks and shallots, develop an extra sweet, mellow flavor. Caramelized onions are delicious on just about anything.
- summer veggies-do well in a braise, such as a ratatouille, thin bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. With a little seasoning, these are amazing together.
- winter squashes-such as butternut squash, kabocha, and acorn are wonderful braised in a stew, soup, or a mixed braise.
basic recipe
1 1/2 to 2 lbs suitable braising vegetables
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 finely diced yellow onion
1/3 cup 100% white grape juice, dry white wine
1 - 1/2 cup stock….chicken or vegetable or mushroom
salt and pepper
seasonings to taste…Italian, curry, savory herbs, spices with heat, etc. optional
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
cut vegetable so they will cook evenly, heat 1 Tbs butter in pan over medium high heat.
add onion to melted butter and cook stirring often until soft, 2-3 minutes
Add grape juice and reduce to half 1-2 minutes
Add vegetable and stock raise heat to high and boil. As soon as large bubbles are formed in pan, reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid.
cook until finished, vegetables should be slightly soft
transfer to warm serving platter and cover to keep warm.
Optional, but highly recommend is to reduce liquid to about 1/3 cup, about 8-19 minutes
Add lemon juice and adjust seasonings.
Use sauce on vegetables or on rice.
Adding cream or other seasonings such as curry, coconut milk, sage, thyme, gives the vegetables a whole new flavor profile
2. ROASTED ON A RACK
The most used vegetables for roasting are ….. just about anything! Even a slow roasted tomato is done to perfection on a rack cooked slow and low. This is my favorite way to cook vegetables as they become more sweet and with a deeper flavor when they brown according to the maillard effect.
Although leafy greens like spinach, beans and pulses, and celery are probably not the best thing to do on a rack, just about anything else is. Thick slices of onion,romaine halves on a rack over the BBQ, cubed winter veggies, slabs and slices of just about anything cook with less oil and taste richer on a rack.
See recipes and more detailed cooking directions at veggie 2.0
Roasting on a rack, is of course my favorite. Be sure that they are 100% stainless steel, extra heavy duty, oven safe to 575°F, and can be used in the oven, on the BBQ, or to broil. Check out the live-nimble cooling rack on Amazon for the heaviest weight rack.
Basic recipe:
Again, cut desired vegetable to similar size to cook and place in bowl. Add oil, seasonings, and toss to coat. Place on a rack that is on a foil lined baking sheet (easy clean up) and roast at 400°F to 425°F until just tender, and nicely browned according to taste.
You can cook several types of vegetables on the rack at the same time, or add other vegetables to the rack along the way if they take less time to cook.
For awesome recipes for vegetables roasted on a rack check out this link -
https://live-nimble.leadpages.
3. ROASTED IN A PAN
- 9x13 glass pan, or half sheet pan
You will get different results. When heavily roasted this makes an awesome pasta sauce over rice, quinoa, etc. Great when cooking with cuts of meat. They will not brown as deeply as BBQ or rack roasted veggies.
Basic recipe
prepare veggies by cutting to appropriate cooking size
drizzle oil and sprinkle seasonings on vegetables, then mix.
cook at 400°F until soft, if you want to use for sauce, cook a bit softer.
stir to mix again, and then serve with pasta, quinoa, rice or other grain/seed.
4. FRIED
Vegetables that are sliced about 1/4” thick are the best application for this. You cannot cook as many at a time as the surface needs to be in contact with the hot pan. Fry with a small amount of oil in a nonstick, cast iron pan, or heavy bottom stainless steel pan. When brown enough, turn each piece and cook the other side to desired brown. Remove from pan and keep warm, fry another batch if needed. You can also cube the vegetables and sautee, but getting them evenly brown can be difficult.
The best vegetables for this are firmer such as tubers, squash, etc. Potatoes are especially nice. Sautéing vegetables such as onions on a low and slow burner will give you delicious caramelized results. Mushrooms are also spectacular cooked this way, low heat, slow cooked with some pasture-raised butter or quality oil.
5. PRESSURE COOKER, MULTI COOK POT, CROCK POT
People who have pressure cookers, crock pots, or multi cook pots love them once they practice a bit and understand how to do it. It takes a bit of practice, but once comfortable with the process, people just love them. You can steam, pressure cook quickly, do soups, or braise and more. This is not the best for caramelizing the food, so you won’t have that sweeter, deeper flavor that roasting on a rack gives you. That is just fine, though, as different flavors and different methods are what make cooking interesting, varied, and keeps you on your path to a healthy lifestyle. Read the directions for your appliance for guidelines and recipes. and to increase the ways to cook vegetables so you are never bored.
6. BBQ ON A RACK
This is probably my all time favorite, using a cooking/cooling rack like live-nimble on the larger grill of a BBQ gives you more security in cooking the vegetables as they won’t fall through, stick, while still having the greatest area exposed to the grill. Flavorful, whether cooked with gas or an aromatic wood, they are almost the best part of summer. Then there is the fruit I grill, and the meat……..I love summer!!
7. EN PAPILLOTE …..parchment paper packets filled with vegetables, seasoning, meat, pasta, etc.
This is a super way to cook an easy clean-up, one pot meal. Simple prep veggies, (cut, oil,season) and then put on top of pasta that is somewhat al dente. Top with meat if you would like, fold paper over lengthwise, and then the ends, cook until done….
I love to do a slice of salmon, carrots, red peppers, slice of onion, thin slices of potato, tomato, whatever you like. Layer, with al dente spaghetti, (or spaghetti squash) top with seasoned vegetables, then the salmon. Cook about 15-30 minutes depending on thickness of salmon, place on plate and enjoy! Elegant for a dinner party, or just easy for dinner, it doesn’t matter.
Vegetables can become your favorite food, not just a side dish to a hun of meat. It is estimated that the average pound of vegetables is only about 70 calories, while a pound of heavy carbs can be 600 calories. If you focus on a plant based diet and then add the other food groups in, you will have a delicious nutritous, and healthy diet.
For additional tips for great veggies check out these links:
- Nancy Oar
Green Bay Packers - Awesome! 0
Cheese Heads are great people! I love cheese, Wisconsin cheese, imported cheese, California cheese, Oregon cheese…..I really like cheese, and use it probably too often. So for the cheese heads out there, I am doing some awesome cheesy bratwurst potatoes.
POTATOES
Chilled steamed potatoes have a very low Glycemic Index, loaded with resistant starch. That makes them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. I find the traditional potato skin much too big, and too filling (but delicious) to allow eating anything else from the table. So I use a smaller, 2-3 bite waxy potato such as red or yukon, steam them, then allow them to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I cut them in half, then scoop them out with a tablespoon or teaspoon, leaving about 1/4” of potato to give support. These are very simple potatoes but full of flavor and totally delicious.
You put a healthy pinch of cheddar in the potato, top with the bratwurst slices, and broil for a few minutes. You can add more cheese on top (yes, please) if you like, as potatoes and cheese are a match made in heaven.
There are many kinds of bratwurst out there, and here in Oregon not too many choices in the local supermarket. We also don’t have the beer cheese they use in Wisconsin. I did use good old sharp Tillamook cheddar which is our favorite every day cheese. The Bratwurst were a nice condiment to the cheese and potatoes. Be sure to get some great brown mustard, or a nice stone ground at least!!!
WINGS roast at 435°F for about 30 minutes
Wings are notoriously high calorie due to the deep fries nature of the traditional wing. Here, I dry them, put a bit of oil and seasoning on them, and then roast at a high temperature. This results in a very crispy, flavor intense, lower calorie treat that is relatively healthy. It is not just the roasting that makes it healthy, though, but also the fat that is in the chicken skin contains loads of mono unsaturated fats, and the dark meat has healthy fats and nutrients as well. While not exactly a health food like kale, it certainly does not deserve to be demeaned as one of the most unhealthy foods ever.
So, cut the tips off the wings, cut into two sections, dry off with a paper towel, then put them all in a bowl with enough oil to lightly coat them. Use avocado oil if possible, as it retains it’s healthy benefits at high temperatures.
Dump your dry seasoning in, and then rub the oil and seasonings into the wings until well coated. Place wings on an oven safe cooling rack. This allows the excess fat to drain off, making them even more crisp and healthy. Place rack into a foil lined baking pan, and roast for about 30 minutes. Be sure they are done, use a thermometer to check for temperature-175°F for safest temp. If not brown enough, or for best results, turn broiler on high and broil the wings for about 5 minutes, watching closely until they are to your liking. You could glaze the wings with honey and use a nice mustardy dip for them. YUMMY!!
BRATS IN A BLANKET!!
I had a hard time coming up with an additional food for the buffet table, but then realized that one of the best things about Brats is eating them in a ‘blanket’ of great dough and dipping them in mustard. A bit like the potatoes, but really very different.
Ingredients
bread dough-home made, bought, or in a tube!
bratwurst
cheddar cheese or beer cheese
Lay the dough out in a crescent shape, like the pre-made ones in the cardboard tubes. (I love to give them a whack and they pop out -so fun!)
Either sprinkle shredded cheese over them or put a thick slice of cheese on the dough.
Place heated/cooked brats on the cheese-slice into brat sticks so they are about 1/2” cubed and long enough to fit the long side of the crescent roll.
Roll up cheese, brat, and dough like the crescent roll and bake on parchment paper on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 350°F. they should be nice and brown
Serve with a good squeeze of mustard, brown or stoneground, and enjoy!
Enjoy and live-nimble.
- Nancy Oar
Dallas Cowboys - Great Season!! 0
One of the most familiar teams to me while I was growing up, and I don’t really know why, the Cowboys have always been a fun team to watch. I lived horses for most of my growing up time, and living in the west, cowboys were part of that. When I heard of a football team called the Cowboys, it was a natural fit. It wasn’t until later that I became aware of the other football teams, and only in the last 10 years have I been able to actually watch a whole football game. I caught only parts of them due to children, work, etc. Now, with children out of the house, I can cuddle up with my husband and really enjoy the finer parts of football. I can't believe how much he knows about football and how much I've learned from him in the past few seasons.
And they say football isn’t art!!!
So, here is my potato suggestion for the Cowboy fans out there.
POTATOES
Chilled steamed potatoes have a very low Glycemic Index, loaded with resistant starch. That makes them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. I find the traditional potato skin much too big, and too filling (but delicious) to allow eating anything else from the table. So I use a smaller, 2-3 bite waxy potato such as red or yukon, steam them, then allow them to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I cut them in half, then scoop them out with a tablespoon or teaspoon, leaving about 1/4” of potato to give support. These are very simple potatoes but full of flavor and totally delicious.
You put a healthy pinch of cheddar in the potato, top with a scoop of chili, and pop into the broiler for a few minutes. I like to have the chili heated a bit so that the potato doesn’t heat up too much, possibly reducing the amount of resistant start. It is also easier to pop them in your mouth if the potato isn’t terribly hot.
A baked potato with chili and cheese is a lunch or dinner item that I enjoy thoroughly. Making it into a one or two bite snack is fabulous. Enjoy these potatoes with your favorite chili and cheese.
WINGS roast at 435°F for about 30 minutes
Wings are notoriously high calorie due to the deep fries nature of the traditional wing. Here, I dry them, put a bit of oil and seasoning on them, and then roast at a high temperature. This results in a very crispy, flavor intense, lower calorie treat that is relatively healthy. It is not just the roasting that makes it healthy, though, but also the fat that is in the chicken skin contains loads of mono unsaturated fats, and the dark meat has healthy fats and nutrients as well. While not exactly a health food like kale, it certainly does not deserve to be demeaned as one of the most unhealthy foods ever.
So, cut the tips off the wings, cut into two sections, dry off with a paper towel, then put them all in a bowl with enough oil to lightly coat them. Use avocado oil if possible, as it retains it’s healthy benefits at high temperatures.
Dump your dry seasoning in, (a BBQ one of course!) and then rub the oil and seasonings into the wings until well coated. Place wings on an oven safe cooling rack. This allows the excess fat to drain off, making them even more crisp and healthy. Place rack into a foil lined baking pan, and roast for about 30 minutes. Be sure they are done, use a thermometer to check for temperature-175°F for safest temp. If not brown enough, or for best results, turn broiler on high and broil the wings for about 5 minutes, watching closely until they are to your liking. Before broiling is a great time to add a glaze, BBQ sauce, or honey. YUMMY!!
STEAK CROSTINI
Steak is awesome in Texas. I had dinner with a man from Texas at one of our local restaurants, and he was going to order a steak - until I told him it was only about 1/2” thick. I think he nearly passed out! He ordered NW Salmon instead, and was thrilled. So, as an homage to the steak lovers in Texas, and Texans football fans, I developed a steak crostini that is awesome!!!
Ingredients:
- Baguette sourdough, French, Italian, your favorite - slice about 1/4” or a bit thicker, toast
- Cheese - I use Fontina, but bleu cheese would be delicious, and of course, a cheddar or monterey jack. or something spicier. slice thin to generally fit the toast.
- Mushrooms I used shiitake, but cremini would be good, or a mix of wild. Slice thin and saute gently
- Shallots something that I usually do when I have mushrooms, they are a bit more mild than regular onions. Slice thing and saute with the mushrooms. Not necessary to carmelize, but it is delicious that way. Or, keep them raw for a sharper oniony taste.
- Steak - My go to favorite for just about anything is top sirloin, as it is relatively lean, doesn’t have much waste, is quite tender, and has a great flavor. Pan sear on both sides, but keep it medium rare (or medium if that is more your style). Season with salt and pepper or another seasoning of your choice. You can also BBQ if the weather is amenable. Here, it is very cold, wet, and sometimes icy during the playoffs.
- Toppings - I like it without toppings, but feel free to add a slice of Jalapeño pepper, more cheese, BBQ sauce, sour cream, etc.
Directions:
Put cheese on top of steak, broil until cheese is just warm and starting to melt.
Place mushrooms and onions on (if you want) and return to broiler until cheese is starting to drip and is bubbling a bit.
Slice steak to about 1/4” thickness, if very tender, you can make it thicker.
Remove to serving tray and add steak to the top of the toast.
Top with whatever you think is best, I like mine ‘honest’ with no extras.
Crostini is delicious hot, cold, or room temperature, so don’t be afraid to make
a lot of them, as they will go very quickly, whether or not they are hot.
There you have it!!l An awesome plate of snacks that are delicious hot or room temperature or cold, food you can snack on during the game or halftime.
Enjoy and live-nimble.!!!
- Nancy Oar
Atlanta Falcons - What a season!! 0
Atlanta is known for it’s peaches, southern hospitality, heat and humidity, and sweet potatoes, among other things. The Falcons are a great football team, and so I have put together some delicious treats themed around the things that make Atlanta awesome.
Potatoes
Chilled steamed potatoes have a very low Glycemic Index, loaded with resistant starch. That makes them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. I find the traditional potato skin much too big, and too filling (but delicious) to allow eating anything else from the table. So I use a smaller, 2-3 bite waxy potato such as red or yukon, steam them, then allow them to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I cut them in half, then scoop them out with a tablespoon or teaspoon, leaving about 1/4” of potato to give support. I dice ham into about 1/4” square pieces (the deli cuts me a slab of 1/4” ham) and then mix in jam. I have used peach chutney, mango habanero, mango pepper jelly, or peach pepper jam. I also mx in some small dice peaches. Thinly slice and then saute shallot, or onion.
Add a pinch of cheddar to the bottom of the potato, then add some caramelized shallots. Scoop a Tablespoon or so of ham mixture over the onions and broil for about 2 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, delicious either way!
WINGS roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes
Wings are notoriously high calorie due to the deep fries nature of the traditional wing. Here, I dry them, put a bit of oil and seasoning on them, and then roast at a high temperature. This results in a very crispy, flavor intense, lower calorie treat that is relatively healthy. It is not just the roasting that makes it healthy, though, but also the fat that is in the chicken skin contains loads of mono unsaturated fats, and the dark meat has healthy fats and nutrients as well. While not exactly a health food like kale, it certainly does not deserve to be demeaned as one of the most unhealthy foods ever.
So, cut the tips off the wings, cut into two sections, dry off with a paper towel, then put them all in a bowl with enough oil to lightly coat them. Use avocado oil if possible, as it retains it’s healthy benefits at high temperatures.
Dump your dry seasoning in, and then rub the oil and seasonings into the wings until well coated. Place wings on an oven safe cooling rack. This allows the excess fat to drain off, making them even more crisp and healthy. Place rack into a foil lined baking pan, and roast for about 30 minutes. Be sure they are done, use a thermometer to check for temperature-175°F for safest temp. If not brown enough, or for best results, turn broiler on high and broil the wings for about 5 minutes, watching closely until they are to your liking.
Seasonings for the wings might be, of course, chicken wings roasted with a nice fruity jam, like the one used in the ham above. Or you can always glaze them under the broiler with jam or your favorite BBQ sauce, or dip them after they are done. So many ways!
Appetizer crackers, goat cheese and jam.
This is a super simple and not that original, but it IS always a huge hit. I use a simple cracker, like 34° from whole foods, or another, neutral, herbed, thin, and crispy cracker. then, I add about at least 1/2 tsp of goat cheese, or brie. Then I put about 1/4 tsp of the above jams on it…like mango pepper, my favorite. WARNING!!! You may need someone dedicated to making these, as it seems they are almost magical in their ability to disappear. Incredibly delicious.
Good luck to the Falcons, my wish is that all the teams play their best!
Enjoy and live-nimble!!
- Nancy Oar
Houston Texans - Sliders 0
Texas is a great place, with wonderful BBQ, people, football, music, and history. They claim to have invented the hamburger, so I thought it would be appropriate to feature hamburgers on the stuffed potatoes!
Potato
Chilled steamed potatoes have a very low Glycemic Index, loaded with resistant starch. That makes them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. I find the traditional potato skin much too big, and too filling (but delicious) to allow eating anything else from the table. So I use a smaller, 2-3 bite waxy potato such as red or yukon, steam them, then allow them to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I cut them in half, then scoop them out with a tablespoon or teaspoon, leaving about 1/4” of potato to give support. Since hamburgers were probably invented in Athens, close to Houston, I decided to make these hamburger potatoes! First put a pinch of cheddar cheese in the potato, broil for a few minutes, then add some caramelized onions, (thin sliced, and saute until brown) and a small hamburger patty. (about 1 Tablespoon) Top with a bit more cheddar cheese, broil for a moment. Then, if desired, add sliced cherry tomato, or thin piece of avocado. Delicious!!
WINGS roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes
Wings are notoriously high calorie due to the deep fries nature of the traditional wing. Here, I dry them, put a bit of oil and seasoning on them, and then roast at a high temperature. This results in a very crispy, flavor intense, lower calorie treat that is relatively healthy. It is not just the roasting that makes it healthy, though, but also the fat that is in the chicken skin contains loads of mono unsaturated fats, and the dark meat has healthy fats and nutrients as well. While not exactly a health food like kale, it certainly does not deserve to be demeaned as one of the most unhealthy foods ever.
So, cut the tips off the wings, cut into two sections, dry off with a paper towel, then put them all in a bowl with enough oil to lightly coat them. Use avocado oil if possible, as it retains it’s healthy benefits at high temperatures.
Dump your dry seasoning in, and then rub the oil and seasonings into the wings until well coated. Place wings on an oven safe cooling rack. This allows the excess fat to drain off, making them even more crisp and healthy. Place rack into a foil lined baking pan, and roast for about 30 minutes. Be sure they are done, use a thermometer to check for temperature-175°F for safest temp. If not brown enough, or for best results, turn broiler on high and broil the wings for about 5 minutes, watching closely until they are to your liking.
Seasonings for the wings might be, of course, asian rubs, a BBQ rub for ribs or chicken would be great, since Texas is an awesome BBQ place. I like the amazingribs.com site for everything BBQ. I am not from BBQ country, so that is about as close as I can get. Delicious!!!!
SLIDERS!!! aka mini hamburgers
Everyone knows that sliders, wings, guacamole, chips, and favorite beverages are required at a football game. Even though I made the potatoes into sort of a hamburger, and they are delicious, by the way, the sliders are quite different. I ate one that was terrific, then decided I would eat another one with extra ingredients. Although good, I think the simple slider was better! Hamburgers can get very complicated, and there is much to be said for eating one that is simple, with high quality ingredients.
Ingredients
Hamburger, 93% lean 2-3 Tbs per patty, then cooked.
caramelized onions
cheddar cheese
small buns, potato rolls, hawaiian king bread, sourdough, etc.
avocado slices
sliced large cherry tomatoes
lettuce
Use the ingredients you want. I put shredded cheese on the bun, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, then put on caramelized onions and the hamburger patty. Simple, perfect, yummy.
Enjoy and live-nimble.!!
- Nancy Oar
New England Patriots Delight! 0
Seafood, particularly clams and lobster and…well, other seafood is as iconic as Boston baked beans. I have spent a few vacations in the Boston area, and have had some amazing clam chowder and lobster rolls and lobster omelettes. I can hardly wait to get back there again!
When thinking about what to do for the stuffed potato skins, I kept coming back to clam chowder, so here is the clam chowder stuffed potato skins!
POTATOES
Chilled steamed potatoes have a very low Glycemic Index, loaded with resistant starch. That makes them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. I find the traditional potato skin much too big, and too filling (but delicious) to allow eating anything else from the table. So I use a smaller, 2-3 bite waxy potato such as red or yukon, steam them, then allow them to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I cut them in half, then scoop them out with a tablespoon or teaspoon, leaving about 1/4” of potato to give support.
Ingredients
chopped clams drained
cream cheese
celery small dice
shallot small size
bacon
roast bacon on an oven-safe cooling rack, placed in a foil lined baking sheet until crisp
pat off extra grease, chop into small pieces
combine celery and shallot with a bit of oil, sautee until soft, add clams
combine clam mixture with cream cheese
put a pinch of bacon in the bottom of the potato
scoop some cream cheese/clam mixture into the potato
top with a few pieces of bacon
broil for a few minutes on rack
sprinkle chives on top if wanted
Delicious hot or at room temperature.
WINGS roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes
Wings are notoriously high calorie due to the deep fried nature of the traditional wing. Here, I dry them, put a bit of oil and seasoning on them, and then roast at a high temperature. This results in a very crispy, flavor intense, lower calorie treat that is relatively healthy. It is not just the roasting that makes it healthy, though, but also the fat that is in the chicken skin contains loads of mono unsaturated fats, and the dark meat has healthy fats and nutrients as well. While not exactly a health food like kale, it certainly does not deserve to be demeaned as one of the most unhealthy foods ever.
So, cut the tips off the wings, cut into two sections, dry off with a paper towel, then put them all in a bowl with enough oil to lightly coat them. Use avocado oil if possible, as it retains it’s healthy benefits at high temperatures.
Dump your dry seasoning in, (may be Old Bay?) or just salt and pepper, and then rub the oil and seasonings into the wings until well coated. Place wings on an oven safe cooling rack. This allows the excess fat to drain off, making them even more crisp and healthy. Place rack into a foil lined baking pan, and roast for about 30 minutes. Be sure they are done, use a thermometer to check for temperature-175°F for safest temp. If not brown enough, or for best results, turn broiler on high and broil the wings for about 5 minutes, watching closely until they are to your liking.
SHRIMP AND APPLE KEBOB - fry kebobs on each side a few minutes until done
Boston has a heavy influence of seafood as I noted earlier. One thing you see quite a bit of is Shrimp. While a buffet for football will include clam chowder and baked beans, I thought this might be a wonderful change of pace, but still include the spirit of New England. Apples and apple cider were also extremely important in this area
ingredients
large shrimp
apples, cut into eight wedges, and then 4 slice cross wise
skewers
cut each shrimp in half
thread one piece of shrimp and then one piece of apple, repeat.
This is terrific as a simple appetizer, a great finger food.The flavors are great together. To make this truly amazing as an elegant entry, add chunks of chicken to the kebob about the same size as the apples and shrimp. Cook with a small amount of oil in a non stick pan
Make a light sauce with white grape juice, a touch of curry, and some small dice onions. Thicken if desired, and serve over the kebobs and perhaps some rice. WOW!
Enjoy and live-nimble!!!
- Nancy Oar
